Chapter 2

2

"Oops. My hand slipped," she sneered.

"No problem," I replied calmly.

I knelt down, picked up my books one by one, and then slammed the entire heavy stack right into her chest.

As the books scattered across the floor, I looked her dead in the eye.

"My hand slipped, too. My bad."

In my last life, Seraphina had found me through the school's online forums.

Students at Northridge used to post my photos constantly, calling me the "Ice King."

She had made a huge scene trying to win me over back then.

But in this life, she was targeting me from the very first second.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that my dear brother had whispered something in her ear.

"Are you freaking crazy?!" Seraphina screamed.

Her little henchmen immediately surrounded me, looking like they were ready to throw down.

Right then, the teacher walked in.

"Class is starting. Everyone, take your seats."

Seraphina clenched her fists, glaring at me with pure hatred.

As she brushed past me, she hissed, "You're dead meat. Nobody messes with me and gets away with it."

Seraphina wasn't just the school beauty; she was the undisputed bully of Valley Vocational.

Her family had serious money and influence, which she used to torment anyone she didn't like.

I remembered a friend telling me about her in my previous life.

That friend was her neighbor. He told me that Seraphina actually had an arranged marriage waiting for her.

Her pursuit of me back then had just been a game to her―a way to rebel.

Now, thanks to Jace, the game had changed from "seduce" to "destroy."

Over the next few days, she went all out. She put superglue on my chair and dropped dead roaches in my water bottle.

It was like something out of a cliché high school bully movie.

But I wasn't afraid of her. A man who has already died once doesn't scare easily.

I swapped our chairs when she wasn't looking, leaving her stuck to the seat.

When I found the roaches, I didn't throw them away. I waited for her to walk by and dropped them right down the back of her shirt.

She turned pale and started screaming, jumping around like a lunatic while her cronies tried to fish them out.

I told her flatly, "This is what happens when you mess with me."

Being kind is a choice, but hitting back is an instinct. I don't believe in being nice to predators.

Seraphina finally went quiet for a while, staying out of my way.

I used the peace to dive into my studies.

I went to my advisor and signed up for the regional Computer Science Skills Competition.

Winning first place came with a massive cash prize and a major boost to my academic record.

The day before the competition, my advisor, Ms. Miller, called me into her office for a pep talk.

She was a young, enthusiastic teacher who had just graduated herself.

She carefully wrote down a list of tips for me.

"Nolan, give it your all tomorrow."

"If you win this, you'll shut up everyone who says vocational students are bottom-tier."

Her eyes were shining. She was one of the good ones.

I nodded and took the list.

As I headed toward the stairs, I bumped into a classmate.

It was Hazel, the girl who was always quiet and top of our English class.

She was clutching her faded uniform tightly, looking nervous.

"Do you need something?" I asked.

"Seraphina is going to jump you after school today," she whispered. "She wants to stop you from going to the competition."

"Walk out with me and the other girls. We'll keep you safe in a group."

She was thin and looked a bit malnourished, but her eyes were incredibly bright and determined.

I was stunned.

I thought everyone in this class was too terrified of Seraphina to even look at me.

I didn't expect someone to be this brave.

I gave her a small smile. "I appreciate the offer, Hazel. But this is my problem. I don't want to get you guys dragged into it."

I walked down the stairs, leaving her standing there.

...

After the final bell, I grabbed my bag and headed out.

Near the school garden, I spotted Hazel and another girl hiding behind a tree, watching me anxiously.

Something shifted in my chest.

They were clearly terrified of Seraphina, yet they were still looking out for me.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth.

Two guys dragged me into an empty classroom and kicked me to the floor.

The lights flickered on with a loud click.